The present invention is directed to a conveyor system carton aligner and method of aligning cartons and, in particular, to a technique for aligning articles, such as cartons, into a single file.
Certain known carton aligners have been difficult to maintain and subject to excessive wear. In one such carton aligner, a pair of vertically spaced driven circular belts travel in circular channels with a portion of each belt extending outside the channel to be contacted by cartons in order to align the cartons along the face of the assembly. Each of the belts is reeved by its own system of sheaves and driven by its own belt drive. In order to replace the lower belt, the upper belt must be removed and replaced. Because both belts should travel at close to the same speed, which is related to the speed of the carton conveyor, a complex procedure must be carried out using computer assist to synchronize the two belts with the carton conveyor.